Grossman Repeats as State Cross Country Champ

By Fred Guzman

Football took a slight step back on the big stage over the weekend as volleyball and cross country stepped into the spotlight.

The state high school cross country championships were held at the Kapalua Village Golf Course on Saturday and several hometown athletes fared well.

Leading the way was Seabury Hall sophomore Dakota Grossman, who  won her second girls’ crown in as many years.  She also claimed a state title in the 3,000 meters last spring as a freshman.

Maui High – led by Rocky Balala and Nicola Perez-Garraeud — gave Leielehua a major challenge but had to settle for a second-place finish in the boy’s team title race.

The Hawaii Prep girls won the team crown while Iolani’s Troy Esaki took top honors in the boy’s race.

At the Blaisdell Arena on Oahu, the Punahou girls lived up to their billing as the top seed and the nation’s sith-ranked volleyball by sweeping six-time defending Division-I champion Kamehamhea-Kapalama 25-21, 25-17, 25-18 in the final.

Fourth-seeded Kamehemaha-Maui, which was swept in the semifinals by Punahou, suffered a similar fate against second-seeded Mililani in the third-place match.   Baldwin lost in three sets against Moanalua for third place.

In D-II action, fourth-seeded Seabury Hall missed the final day after suffering back-to-back, five-set losses to Leilehua and Konawaena.  Molokai, the defending state D-II champion, was swept by Radford in the consolation final.